


It's a Shame Really...

by AshsHorrorShow



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Angst, Canon Compliant, F/F, Femslash February, One-Sided Attraction, Rescue Missions, Toxic Friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 18:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17647754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshsHorrorShow/pseuds/AshsHorrorShow
Summary: "I wish things could've been different between us, Sleekwhisker."





	It's a Shame Really...

**Author's Note:**

> This is very lightly inspired by the MAP "I Hate Everything About You" by cranbuury. Check it out if you haven't seen it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVe2hoI4AsA

‘Mouse-brain. What an absolute mouse-brain,’ Sleekwhisker thought to herself in disgust as she approached the den filled with Kin hostages. She didn’t know who exactly she was directing that vitriol at. The one Kin cat stupid enough to get herself put in with the RiverClan hostages or at herself for risking her tail and whiskers for the aforementioned cat. Sleekwhisker actually had good standing in the Kin at the moment, but she knew that position was fragile. Rain and Needletail were perfect examples of this. Her good standing could be destroyed within a few seconds if she gave Darktail enough reason to mistrust her. 

So if Darktail found out she was talking in secret to a suspected traitor, that was sure to crumble away almost everything she had built up over these past moons. 

But then again, her higher position might work to her advantage if she did this cleverly enough. She could use her charm to convince Darktail to have mercy on Needletail. She just needed Needletail to promise that she wouldn’t keep acting like some sort of self-righteous idiot anymore.

And cats had the gall to act like she didn’t have a heart. Heh. 

Part of Sleekwhisker still couldn’t believe that she was having to save Needletail like this. Honestly, she would’ve expected this kind of stupid behavior from one of the pathetic kittypets or sniveling elders who cried about the old days, but not from Needletail.

Needletail had wanted this from the beginning. She had been the cat who originally challenged the ShadowClan warriors and questioned Rowanstar’s authority. She was one of the first cats to join the Kin. She was the one who had lead this whole revolution really. Sleekwhisker had always admired that about Needletail. Once she had a goal in mind, she didn’t stop until it was in action. Needletail was one of the reasons they managed to destroy the crumbling Clan that was ShadowClan. 

So why was she destroying what she had fought so hard for? Why was she being so dumb? She had lived in the Kin long enough to know the unspoken rules. So for her to be acting like this confused Sleekwhisker. 

Was it because of Rain? Sleekwhisker knew Needletail had held a penchant for the deceased tom, but really, Darktail had done the grey she-cat a _favor_ by killing that traitorous tom. All Rain had done was make Needletail look suspicious. With him being gone, Needletail had actually real opportunity to build her reputation back up. 

But instead, she was acting up, just like Rain.

Well, Sleekwhisker intended to put a stop to all of this nonsense. 

Checking once more that Darktail was in his den and Raven was asleep and that no one else was paying attention, she approached the den, seeing Zelda dutifully standing on guard as usual. Sleekwhisker tried not to curl her lip in disdain. If there was one thing Sleekwhisker disagreed with Darktail on, it was his decision to let these stupid kittypets in. 

She knew the Kin was all about equality and all of that, but as far as she saw it, kittypets would always be weak softies. One of them had already died in less than a moon. She could only hope the other two would follow his example. 

But until the day some cat finally finished them off, she would just have to deal with them. And hey, while they were here, might as well use their cowardice to her advantage. 

Approaching Zelda, she felt a curl of satisfaction when she saw a glimmer of fear cross through the tabby’s features. It was good to see that she had garnered a reputation here. Part of her almost wanted to toy around with the kittypet a bit, but unfortunately she had a mission to do.

She could save the fun and games for another time. 

Standing in front of Zelda, she said as authoritatively as possible, “I need to talk to one of the prisoners.” When Zelda opened her mouth, Sleekwhisker added, “Privately.”

Zelda blinked at her in surprise and looked like she was working up the nerve to say something. Unfortunately for her, Sleekwhisker didn’t have the patience for this kittypet’s idiocy. 

Taking a threatening step forward, her ears flattening, she demanded, “Well?!”

Zelda flinched, but much to Sleekwhisker’s surprise, the kittypet actually stood her ground, saying, “Darktail told me to not leave the prisoners alone, not even once.”

Sleekwhisker felt her whiskers twitch. Well… this certainly complicated things. She may have a level of fear attached to her name, but even she knew she didn’t have more power than Darktail. 

Well perhaps she could utilize Darktail’s power to her advantage.

“Darktail gave me permission to talk to Needletail,” Sleekwhisker replied coolly. 

Frustratingly enough, Zelda still looked skeptical. Sleekwhisker really wanted to cuff the kittypet in the ear, but she doubted that would exactly get her the results she wanted. 

She would just have to turn to bluffing. 

‘Let’s hope this works…’ Sleekwhisker thought. 

Turning around, she meowed, “Well fine. Be that way. I will go to Darktail myself and you can explain to him personally why you’re not listening to his orders.”

She took a few steps towards Darktail’s den, when Zelda meowed, “Wait! Fine! But…” Darting her eyes towards another den nearby, she said, “Let me at least stand over there. Please?”

Sleekwhisker glanced at the spot. It was nearby the prisoners den, but it seemed far enough that Zelda wouldn’t be able to listen in on the conversation, at least not very easily. She was willing to take it. 

Nodding, she smiled as sickly sweet as possible and said, “Sure. That works just fine. Don’t worry, this conversation shouldn’t take more than a minute or two at most.”

Zelda nodded slowly, still looking unsure with herself as she padded away. Sleekwhisker watched her go and once she was satisfied with Zelda’s distance, she meowed, “You can come out now, Needletail.”  
As Needletail slowly made her way out of the den, she mewed, “You always were a good liar, Sleekwhisker, even when you were a kit.”

Sleekwhisker smiled a bit at that, saying, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Needletail snorted, “You would. You always had a weird sense of morality.”

“Morality is for the weak,” Sleekwhisker hissed. “Look where morality got ShadowClan. Look where it got _you_.” 

Needletail just blinked at her slowly, a look of pity almost in her dull green eyes. Sleekwhisker couldn’t help but feel a bit angry at that. How dare the she-cat pity her? Did Needletail see herself? 

Needletail used to be sleek, beautiful, and spunky. Now her fur was dulled, her ribs poked through her skin, and her eyes had lost all of their light. If anyone should be pitied, it was Needletail for sinking so low. 

Lashing her tail, she demanded, “Why are you being such an idiot? Keep going like this and I don’t know if Darktail will tolerate having you in the Kin anymore.”

Needletail shrugged and said, “That’s fine by me. I wanted to be in a world where cats got along. Where borders and all of that nonsense didn’t matter. Where we weren’t held down by rules and allowed to be the strongest we can be.” Glancing back towards the RiverClan den, she added, “I didn’t want things to be like this. For cats to die and live in terror every day. What the Kin has… it’s not freedom at all.”

Sleekwhisker couldn’t believe her ears. Fur bristling, she hissed, “What happened to you?”

Suddenly Needletail whirled on her and snarled, “No, what happened to you, Sleekwhisker?” When Sleekwhisker just blinked at her in shock, she added, “You always were a rotten cat, just like me… but even you were better than this. Bullying the weak… torturing others… do you really see nothing wrong with this? Do you really see nothing wrong with the fact that Darktail can just get rid of you whenever he wants and no cat will protest otherwise?”

Sleekwhisker narrowed her eyes and hissed, “The weak need to be culled. If I was being a deadweight on the Kin, then Darktail will do as he pleases.”

Needletail shook her head. Turning around to head back into the prisoner den, she mewed, “Forget it. You’re too far gone.”

“I could say the same for you,” Sleekwhisker hissed back, feeling annoyance crawl all over her body. How ungrateful could one cat be? 

Needletail deserved what she got. She chose her path. 

That is what Sleekwhisker told herself… but a small part of her- some small, weak, pathetic part of herself - didn’t want to leave it at just this. It was the part of herself that remembered her and Needletail as kits, playing around with one another. The part of her that remembered how they felt like the only two smart cats in ShadowClan. How it felt like them against the entire Lake territories at one point. 

So, taking a step forward, she meowed, “Needletail. Wait.”

Needletail paused and turned her head to look back at her. Sleekwhisker was silent for a heartbeat or two, then flattening her ears and keeping her green eyes glued to the ground, she said, “Please don’t do this. I… I don’t want the next disappearance to be you. You can fix this. _I_ can help you fix this. You’re frustrating and dumb and headstrong, but you were the one who helped make this happen. Just swallow your pride and grovel to Darktail… I can help…”

She stopped before she could embarrass herself further. Needletail was silent for a moment, almost seeming thoughtful. Much to her dismay, there was a part of Sleekwhisker that was hoping that the she-cat would agree. That she would listen to actual reason.

But instead, Needletail just let out a soft chuckle and said, “Wow, Sleekwhisker. It almost sounded like you cared there for a moment. If you don’t want to be seen as weak to Darktail, you might want to be a bit more careful with your words there.”

Sleekwhisker narrowed her eyes, rage filling her every pore. Glaring coldy at the cat in front of her, she said, “Fine. I tried to help, but you’ve made your choice, Needletail. Next time we meet face to face Needletail, I can’t exactly promise it will be on the best of terms.”

Needletail nodded and said, “I know. May StarClan or whoever is out there help us both.”

Sleekwhisker thought the conversation was over then… but Needletail continued, “Sleekwhisker…”

“What?” Sleekwhisker bit out, her tail lashing. 

Needletail gave her an honest look and said, “I wish things could’ve been different between us.”

Then with that, Needletail slipped back in with the prisoners and Zelda dutifully darted back to her position as Sleekwhisker whirled around, trying to fight down the mix of emotions churning in her stomach.

It was a shame really that things had to end like this. But fools were fools, she supposed, and there was nothing they could do about that. If Needletail insisted on being a hindrance, then she would be dealt with promptly. 

Needletail was right. Her caring about a traitor in the first place was a sign of weakness. She had to be stronger. She knew this. 

So that was why, despite how heavy her heart felt, she swore to herself that she would try to finish off Needletail herself when the time came. 

After all, here in the Kin, any hindrance to one’s strength had to be removed by force.

**Author's Note:**

> Whooo this one was sudden, but I had a lot of fun writing it. It was fun to write a mean ass character like Sleekwhisker as unsympathetic and cruel, but try to also give her a glimmer of sympathy. Hopefully I didn't bastardize her character. She seemed like two different characters from The Apprentice's Quest and then the rest of the series... so I tried to find a balance there. Hopefully you enjoyed. 
> 
> As always, critique is wanted and if you see a mistake, feel free to point it out and I will fix immediately. Have a great day everyone!!


End file.
